Robin
Steam rises from sewer grates as Robin stalks down an alley in the dead of night. The sound of whimpering reaches his ears. He presses on deeper into the alley, silently, steeling himself for what he might find around the next corner.
After leaving the hospital, Robin went to the batcave. Batman had already turned in for the day. Alfred was there waiting for him though. He offered him some food and his old room. It was exactly as he had left it. He hit the mattress and was asleep before he could pull up the covers. By the time he woke up, it was after midnight. He checked his messages, but had none. He searched the cave, but Batman was already out on patrol. He paced around the cave, unsure of what to do. He thought about calling Raven, but it was too late; he didn't want to wake her, or any of the other titans. He hoped that everything was going well with them and he seriously hoped they weren't in any danger.
He used the bat-computer to send some messages to them, and some of his other friends throughout the superhero community. He just couldn't sit still and wait for Batman to return, so he suited up with a Robin uniform that Batman had on display in the cave. Alfred came down to wish him luck and offer him a thermos of fresh, french pressed coffee with a little cream. Then, Robin was off in the T-jet, patrolling Gotham City. He stopped a bank robbery, then a jewelry store robbery. Coming out of the jewelry store, he heard a noise- a shriek from somewhere nearby.
He ran into the alley between the grungy brick buildings.
Now he walks in a half crouch, keeping very close to the wall. The alley branches on his right. He approaches the corner and quickly peers around. A man with long read hair, wearing a black coat pins a woman to the brick wall, something shiny in his hand.
Robin's heart jumps into his throat, his hands ball into fists. He sets his jaw and steps around the corner, shoulders squared. He walks right up to the man and takes him by the neck, kneeing him the back, then, twisting him around and grabbing the knife hand at the wrist. He twists. A loud crack echoes through the alley and the knife clatters to ground.
The man howls, and Robin knees him in the ribs, hearing another crack and another howl. Taking the man by the shoulders, he slams him against the brick wall, teeth bared.
"You will never touch another woman!" Robin says. "Ever!"
He knees him again, then kicks the man's left knee.
The man crumples to the ground, whimpering.
Robin turns to the woman.
"Are you alright," he says.
She doesn't answer, just tries to collect her shredded top.
"The police are coming. They'll be here soon. Okay?"
He grabs his grapple hook out of his belt and fires it in the air. It catches and immediately, Robin is ripped into the air. A few seconds later, he lands on the rooftop with a roll, putting his grapple away and calling the T-jet.
"Well, hi," a feminine voice sounds behind him.
He knows that voice. He spins around to see Donna Troy, a.k.a Wonder Girl standing on the roof's ledge.
She's wearing her usual sleeveless, black, one piece with bright dots that look like stars in the sky, and silver gauntlets. Her lasso hangs from a silver belt. Her silky black hair falls in waves over her shoulders.
Robin has known Wonder Girl for many years, ever since they were little kids.
Batman would bring him to The Watchtower whenever the Justice League had need of The Dark Knight. Usually, he would make him wait outside the conference room. Robin would just sit there, in the shiny-walled satellite-space station, waiting.
At first, the league didn't approve of Batman taking on a partner so young. They thought he was corrupting a child. They accused Batman of trying to turn the boy into himself. They claimed he was just too obsessed to see it.
They couldn't understand how the implications made a certain boy wonder feel.
It wasn't until Robin inadvertently solved a case and saved a multitude of lives that the league started to take notice of how talented he was. They saw that he brought out a better side of Batman and though like the Batman, he too was born in darkness; Robin didn't seek out the shadows and was not reserved. In fact, he was the opposite; making friends with near anyone.
Shortly after, the league started showing up with "proteges" of their own. First, Green Arrow brought Speedy, then Wonder Woman brought Wonder Girl, then Aquaman brought Aqualad.
It wasn't long before Robin had his first real stable of friends. He was more than happy to have people his own age to hang out with during Batman's league visits.
During those visits, he became close with Wonder Girl. She was like the sister that he never had, but always wanted.
"I thought we were supposed to be the good guys," Wonder Girl says.
He shrugs. "Yeah, well, some of us more good than others."
She raises an eyebrow with a slight smirk and steps down from the roof's ledge.
"Stop tryin' to act like Batman."
Now, it's his turn to raise an eyebrow.
"Few crimes can bring out that side of me," he says. "And that;" he motions to the alley below. "Is one of them."
She nods, apparently deciding that the games are over.
"I got your message," she says. "How is she?"
"Doctors say she'll never walk again."
She shakes her head and frowns.
"That's awful," is all she can say.
"Yeah."
"And how are you doing?" she says.
"I'm fine."
She sighs.
"What?" he says.
She steps closer to him, now standing just a foot away.
"Really?" she says.
"Well, I'm not the one who got shot, Donna."
"I know you better than that. Don't play games with me. I know how hard everything's been for you these last few months. This thing with Barbara must be throwing you for a loop."
"Sorry to disappoint you," he says evenly.
She eyes him, then rolls her eyes, not buying the detached act for even a second.
"How are you holding up?" he says.
"So worried about everyone else that you can't even acknowledge your own pain," she says. "Same old Robin."
He lets out a breath and nods.
"Alright," he says. "Donna, look, I-"
Thunder rumbles like the sound of a cannon through the night, but the sky is clear. Something wet sprays his face, but it isn't rain. Sniper!
Wonder Girl looks at Robin with a shocked expression and wide eyes, then they roll back in her head and she collapses. A red pool of blood spreading beneath her. NO!
Instinct kicks in and he dives on top of her, protecting her with his body.
"Donna!" he says. "Donna!"
She's bleeding profusely from a gaping wound just below her chest. No, Donna!
He presses his palms into the wound to try and stop the bleeding, not caring that a bullet could rip through his own body at any moment. He tries to rouse her, but she's unresponsive. Don't...Please...
"Donna."
She lays motionless beneath him, the blood spreading. Don't.
"Donna!.." he growls.
He pushes harder against the wound with his right hand, reaching for his communicator with his left.
"... Don't leave me..."
Author's note
Hey, how is everyone? So that was Part Three. I know it's much shorter than my normal chapters, but I don't know how much time I'm going to have in the near future. I'm taking part in "camp nanowrimo". A writer's challenge to start a story from scratch and meet a certain word goal in the month of April. Hopefully I'll hit the goal early and be able to continue this sooner, but in case it takes me all month, I wanted to post as many updates here as I could, and let you all know why I might not be updating in a few weeks.
So what did you think of part three? If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate. I love reviews, so please me some.
Thank you jeenathespectrobesprincess for the review. That's interesting.
Thank you H'sfreedom for the review. I'm so glad you loved it. There might be. We'll have to see.
Thank you DeaGrimm, and jeenathespectrobeprincess for following,
and thank you everyone who's read the story so far. Ya'll are awesome!
PS
I just checked and there's something like 15 other Teen Titans fanfics with the title "Don't Leave Me". Should I look into changing it? I only used it cause it was a quote from Part One.
Well, that's it for Part Three. Hope life finds you all well. Until next time...
mojo